U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
U.S. patent applications available from 2005 to present.

Sculpture apparatus for correcting curvature of the cornea

Patent 4911711 Issued on March 27, 1990. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject March 27, 2007. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Patent References

3348547

3703176

3705758

Laser material removal apparatus
Patent #: 3941973
Issued on: 03/02/1976
Inventor: Luck, Jr. ,   et al.

Method of treating object by laser beam and apparatus therefor
Patent #: 4315130
Issued on: 02/09/1982
Inventor: Inagaki ,   et al.

Illuminating device for providing an illumination beam with adjustable distribution of intensity and a pattern-transfer system comprising such a device
Patent #: 4370026
Issued on: 01/25/1983
Inventor: Dubroeucq ,   et al.

Reflective beam rotator
Patent #: 4370540
Issued on: 01/25/1983
Inventor: Davis ,   et al.

Method and apparatus for optical beam shaping
Patent #: 4518232
Issued on: 05/21/1985
Inventor: Dagenais

Optical system for synthesizing plural light beams
Patent #: 4545651
Issued on: 10/08/1985
Inventor: Kato ,   et al.

Material working apparatus
Patent #: 4551608
Issued on: 11/05/1985
Inventor: Opower

More ...

Inventors

Assignee

Application

No. 938633 filed on 12/05/1986

US Classes:

606/5, Recurving or reshaping of the eye219/121.6, Using laser219/121.68, Etching or trimming219/121.75, With lens219/121.83, With monitoring606/11Beam energy control or monitoring

Examiners

Primary: Cohen, Lee S.
Assistant: Shay, David M.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Foreign Patent References

  • 163589 JP 09/11/1983

International Class

A61M 005/06

Abstract

In the context of ultraviolet-laser sculpting of the cornea to achieve optical correction through a newly shaped anterior surface, the invention subjects the laser beam to certain shaping and homogenizing operations prior to any attempt to specially characterize the beam for a particular sculpturing procedure. In a preferred embodiment, the shaping and homogenizing operations present a tolerably homogeneous beam of enlarged dimension, so that specialty-characterizing may proceed on a dimensional scale that is greater than the corresponding dimension of ultimate surgical delivery to the eye, thereby enabling greater control of the quality of specialty-characterizing. Provision is made for selectively monitoring the quality of the homogeneity and/or of the specially-characterized beam, with further provision for automated cutoff of laser beam delivery to an eye in the event that quality is not within predetermined limits of tolerance. And preferably, all beam shaping, homogenizing and characterizing operations proceed in a controlled environment which precludes ozone development and thus minimizes the beam-degrading effect of ozone and particulates or other contaminants.

Other References

  • "Response of the Corneal Epithelium to KrF Excimer Laser Pulses" by Taboda et al.; Health Physics, vol. 40, May, 1981, pp. 677-683
  • "Excimer Laser Surgery of the Cornea" by Trokel et al.; Am. J. Ophthal., vol. 96, No. 6, Dec., 1983, pp. 710-71
PatentsPlus Images
Enhanced PDF formats
loading...
PatentsPlus: add to cart
PatentsPlus: add to cartSearch-enhanced full patent PDF image
$9.95more info
PatentsPlus: add to cart
PatentsPlus: add to cartIntelligent turbocharged patent PDFs with marked up images
$16.95more info
 
Sign InRegister
Username  
Password   
forgot password?